Fabric Finding, The Cruel World, and Castor Oil

How is the making of Craghead going to impact our collective home?

I believe that transparency fosters human thriving, so I am choosing to document, with transparency, both the good and the evil of creating things. I don’t want to cause harm; I don’t want to prioritize my creative passions over the health of humanity.

It must be a symbiotic relationship with people and planet, or nothing at all.

My goal is to make things, slowly, with my hands. Not for profit, but for the life-giving nature of a craft and climbing.

The Cruel World

I’m very aware of the industry I am entering. My goal is to circumnavigate it, slowly.

The present-day (2025) global synthetic fabric market size was valued at….wait for it…79.56 billion USD. With an expected growth of over 7% in the next 9 years, reaching 147.21 billion dollars by 2034. Big numbers usually mean big problems, in my humble opinion.

Somewhere, somehow, someone is paying big time for those big numbers.  

Joke’s on us, it’s us 😭

Most durable, breathable fabrics are produced using crude oil and chemicals that poison our bodies, contaminate our food sources, and devastate our habitats. Carbon emissions from mass textile production disturb our weather patterns, resulting in unpredictable natural disasters, food instability, and habitat destruction. Massive textile landfills in BIPOC neighborhoods and third-world countries poison water sources and destroy critical ecosystems.

When did making things become so destructive?

What am I gonna do?

I’ve been thinking this all over for a while now. A long while. My partner, who is an industrial designer, told me to challenge my thinking, that the fun part of design is finding the odd, subtle, out of the ordinary solution.

My ideal picture of Craghead would be that myself and others get to make something with our hands. Something that inspires change, encourages play, and brings attention to the infinite potential of our collective home.

I’ve reframed my definition of profit. I don’t want big bucks, I want an inspired community and a rich, lush, bio-diverse home for us to play in.

I’ll continue to share what I find. In the meantime, I’m drafting with secondhand cotton fabric and using up what thread has been passed down to me.

Ya’ll are gonna have to be patient for these pants 😭. Good things take time.

Bye for now,

Maddi M.

Sources

Bomfeh, K., Garrido Gamarro, E., & Costanzo, V. (2022). Microplastics in food commodities: A food safety review on human exposure through dietary sources. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2392en

Cardona, N. (2025, May 28). Fast fashion statistics 2025. UniformMarket. https://www.uniformmarket.com/statistics/fast-fashion-statistics

De Sam Lazaro, F., & Lancaster, S. (2024, November 19). Ghana becomes dumping ground for the world’s unwanted used clothes. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ghana-becomes-dumping-ground-for-the-worlds-unwanted-used-clothes

Fixing fashion: Clothing consumption and sustainability – Environmental Audit Committee. (n.d.). https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/1952/full-report.html

Lee, Y., Cho, J., Sohn, J., & Kim, C. (2023). Health effects of microplastic exposures: Current issues and perspectives in South Korea. Yonsei Medical Journal, 64(5), 301–308. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2023.0048

Materials Market Report 2025 – Textile Exchange. (2025, September 18). Textile Exchange. https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/materials-market-report-2025/

Oil and the environment. (2022, August 1). U.S. Energy Information Administration. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/oil-and-the-environment.php

Polymers vs. plastics: What is the difference? Beyond Chemistry. Stahl. (n.d.). https://www.stahl.com/beyond-chemistry-from-a-to-z/polymers-vs-plastics-what-is-the-difference

Research, S. (n.d.). Synthetic fibers market size, top share, demand: Industry report, 2034. Straits Research. https://straitsresearch.com/report/synthetic-fibers-market

Sharma, K., Shah, G., Singhal, K., & Soni, V. (2024). Comprehensive insights into the impact of oil pollution on the environment. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 74, 103516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2024.103516

The aftermath of fast fashion: How discarded clothes impact public health and the environment. (n.d.). Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2022/the-aftermath-of-fast-fashion-how-discarded-clothes-impact-public-health-and-the-environment/

Image Credit: Unknown, Contact for Credit.